Page 3 - Pollution

'Warrior Moms' urges health minister to act on air pollution, proposes plan

A collective of mothers from across India advocating for clean air on Saturday urged the Union Health Ministry to create "Low Emission Zones" around hospitals and issue advisories for doctors to consider a patient's exposure to air pollution when diagnosing illnesses. In a letter to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, the "Warrior Moms" also proposed the development of a "Health Action Plan" for each state to tackle pollution-related health issues. The letter coincided with the UN International Day of Blue Skies and Clean Air. The mothers called for an immediate update to India's Air Quality Index (AQI) standards, which have been delayed for over two years, along with the establishment of clear targets to reduce pollution levels. They urged the installation of real-time AQI monitoring systems in hospitals, schools, government buildings, and public spaces to ensure transparency and accountability. "Warrior Moms" also suggested that the ministry collaborate with other government bodies

Antibiotic production waste fuelling drug-resistant bacteria, warns WHO

In a first, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued norms on managing waste during antibiotic production

NMCG approves 9 projects worth Rs 265 cr to reduce pollution in Ganga

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved nine significant projects worth Rs 265 crore aimed at reducing pollution and enhancing the ecosystem of the Ganga river, according to an official statement. These projects were greenlit during the 56th executive committee meeting chaired by NMCG Director General Rajeev Kumar Mital in New Delhi. One of the projects involves the establishment of an eight kilolitres per day (KLD) capacity Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant in Dalmau of Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli, it said. The plant will be supported by a 15 KW solar power Plant and a solar inverter. Valued at Rs 4.40 crore, the project operates on a Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) model and includes five years of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) to ensure its long-term success. In Bulandshahr district's Gulaothi town, another project focuses on preventing pollution in the East Kali River, a tributary of the Ganga. This initiative, having a budget of Rs 50.98 crore, involves

Coast Guard gets Rs 2,500-crore vessel to fight pollution: Union minister

A Rs 2,500-crore pollution control vessel built by Goa Shipyard Limited for the Indian Coast Guard was launched on Thursday, with Union minister Sanjay Seth asserting that it would be an asset for the maritime security agency. The Union Minister of State for Defence launched the newly built Pollution Control Vessel, GSL Yard 1267, for the Indian Coast Guard in a ceremony held at Vasco in Goa. This ship is 72 per cent atmanirbhar' and has the capability to fight coastal pollution, Seth told reporters. The Union minister said the ship will be an asset for the Indian Coast Guard, which patrols our shores to keep them safe from unwanted elements. Seth said that during his last 85 days as minister of state for defence, he spent much time learning about our forces. After learning about our forces, I can say that the Indian defence sector is robust, he said. He called the launch of the pollution control vehicle a significant step forward in the efforts to protect the country's marine ...

Delhi Airport becomes 1st to achieve net zero carbon emission status

Delhi Airport's achievement of Level 5 certification underscores its leadership in sustainability and carbon management

Air pollution is a great equaliser

In 2019, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), as it is called, to fix the air quality of our cities

Rajasthan govt to form a three-member panel to control industrial pollution

The industry contributes around 24 per cent of the state's gross domestic product, lower than agriculture (27 per cent) and services (41 per cent) to the state's GDP besides other small sectors

Noida spent only 6% of NCAP funds for air pollution control, shows data

Noida, one of India's most polluted cities, has used only around 6 per cent of the Rs 21.95 crore it received under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) since 2019, according to government data. Data released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) showed that 19 out of the 131 cities covered under the NCAP have utilised less than 50 per cent of the funds allocated, and four have used below 25 per cent of the funds received as of May 3. Launched in 2019, the NCAP is India's first national effort to set clean air targets, aiming for a 20-30 per cent reduction in PM10 pollution by 2024, with 2017 as the base year. The revised target aims for a 40 per cent reduction by 2026, using 2019-20 as the base year. A total of 46 cities and urban agglomerations spent less than 75 percent of the money received under the programme, either directly from the environment ministry or through the 15th Finance Commission. Noida in Uttar Pradesh has utilised only Rs 1.43 cr

LG undid plans to make city pollution-free by ordering tree felling: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday alleged that Lt Governor V K Saxena scuttled the efforts of the Arvind Kejriwal government to make Delhi pollution-free by allowing the feeling of 1,100 trees in the Satbari ridge area without permission. There was no immediate reaction from LG office to the allegation. Addressing a press conference here, AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said that in the last 10 years, the Aam Aadmi Party government has taken many long-term and short-term steps to control pollution in Delhi. "One such long-term measure is planting trees. The Delhi government has brought Delhi's green cover to a historic high in the last 10 years and Delhi's green cover is now about 24 per cent. "In the last four years, two crore trees have been planted in Delhi. As many as 17 city forests exist in Delhi and the Aam Aadmi Party government is creating six more forests in Delhi," she said. The AAP leader said that the Delhi government is developing "city forests" near the metro sta

Global fossil fuel use, emissions hit records in 2023, says report

Overall global primary energy consumption hit an all-time high of 620 Exajoules (EJ), the report said

War on coal rhetoric heats up as Biden aims to curb pollution as polls loom

Actions by President Joe Biden's administration that could hasten closures of heavily polluting coal power plants and the mines that supply them are reviving Republican rhetoric about a so-called war on coal ahead of the November election. The front line in the political battle over the fuel is in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana, a sparsely populated section of the Great Plains with the nation's largest coal mines. It's also home to a massive power plant in Colstrip, Montana, that emits more toxic air pollutants such as lead and arsenic than any other US facility of its kind, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA last month finalized a suite of rules that could force the Colstrip Generating Station to shut down or spend an estimated USD 400 million to clean up its emissions within the next several years. Another proposal, from the US Interior Department, would end new leasing of taxpayer-owned coal reserves in the Powder River Basin, clouding the ...

World's 'largest' vacuum designed to suck pollution out of air is now open

The vacuum is projected to remove 36,000 tons of carbon annually, equivalent to eliminating emissions from approximately 7,800 gas-powered cars for a year

Drop in annual PM2.5, PM10 levels between 2018 and 2023: Environment dept

The Delhi environmental department said there has been a decrease in the annual PM2.5 concentration, dropping from 128 micrograms per cubic metre in 2018 to 106 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023

'India among 12 nations responsible for 60% of mismanaged plastic waste'

India is among the twelve countries responsible for 60 percent of the planet's mismanaged plastic waste though the fast-developing South Asian nation's per capita plastic waste production is among the lowest in the world, according to a new report. The Plastic Overshoot Day report by Swiss non-profit EA Earth Action also said global plastic waste generation has risen by 7.11 per cent since 2021. The world is estimated to have generated 220 million tons of plastic waste this year, 70 million tons of which will end up polluting the environment. The report comes ahead of the fourth meeting of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) in Ottawa, Canada, as the world leaders attempt to develop a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. "Twelve countries are responsible for 60 per cent of the world's mismanaged plastic waste: China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, the United States and Turkey," it said. Though

Southeast Asian countries consider ways to boost 'green financing'

Senior finance and central bank officials from Southeast Asia and major economies met Thursday in the scenic Laotian city of Luang Prabang to discuss ways to help the region build resilience against shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters brought on by climate change. The need for faster progress was dramatically apparent as the city and surrounding region were engulfed in heavy smoke from fires some set to clear forests for crops, some ignited by record high temperatures and tinder-dry conditions. The air quality index early Thursday was nearly 300, or very unhealthy. Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia have committed to seeking more sustainable ways to feed their people and power their economies. The question is where the money will come from to do that. Green finance is among several items on the agenda of the finance meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations related to countering the mounting impacts of global warming. The officials also were

Only 20% environmental funds utilised for NCR, shows CPCB report to NGT

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has spent only 20 per cent of the environment protection charge and environmental compensation collected so far for mitigating air pollution in Delhi-NCR and protecting the environment. The CPCB receives compensation broadly under two heads - environment protection charge (EPC) and environmental compensation (EC). According to a CPCB report submitted to the National Green Tribunal on March 20, the central pollution control body has disbursed only Rs 156.33 of the total Rs 777.69 crore collected under the two heads. The dealer/manufacturer is required to pay one per cent environment protection charge on the ex-showroom price of new diesel vehicles with engine capacity of 2000cc and above, registered only in Delhi and NCR. This is called 'environment protection charge'. The EPC is received as per an order of the Supreme Court and is utilized for air quality improvement and related work in Delhi-NCR such as research and development activities

Rain lashes in parts of Delhi, pollution levels improve with AQI at 114

Rain lashed parts of the national capital on Saturday, bringing down the pollution levels in the city. Delhi's maximum temperature settled at 25.2 degree Celsius, two notches below the season's average, the India Meteorological Department said. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 18.2 degree Celsius, five notches above season average, the weather office said. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded in the "moderate category with a reading of 114, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at 6 pm. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". The weather department has predicted a generally cloudy sky with light rain for Sunday. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 26 and 15 degrees Celsius respectively on Sunday, it said.

UN member states meet to plan how to tackle world's environmental crises

The world's top decision-making body on the environment is meeting in Kenya's capital on Monday to discuss how countries can work together to tackle environmental crises like climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity. The meeting in Nairobi is the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, and governments, civil society groups, scientists and the private sector are attending. None of us live on an island. We live on planet Earth, and we are all connected, Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, which is leading the process, told The Associated Press ahead of the talks. The only way we can solve some of these problems is by talking together. At the meeting, member states discuss a raft of draft resolutions on a range of issues that the assembly adopts upon consensus. If a proposal is adopted, it sets the stage for countries to implement what's been agreed on. In the last round of talks in 2022, also in Nairobi, governments adopted

'Foreigners wary of pollution when considering setting base in India'

Air pollution is the primary concern for foreigners considering establishing a permanent base in India, with the issue entangled in the political blame game, a German Embassy official said on Thursday. Addressing a symposium on air pollution here, Hendrik Selle, the head of the Department for Economic and Global Affairs at the German Embassy, said that air pollution affects not only people's health but also the economy. "Air pollution, in India for example, is one of the primary factors for those abroad who consider establishing a permanent representation in the country...(They) say this is something we cannot run the risk of doing," he said. "So, it is indeed a very important concern and a multifactor problem, one that is far too often caught up in political blame game. The brick kiln worker attributes it to vehicular pollution, the stubble-burning farmer blames it on farmers in another state...which is not what we need. We need political action both nationally and internationally,

Coast Guard ship conducts demonstration of pollution response at sea

With 152 ships and 78 aircraft in its arsenal, the ICG is on track to achieve its targeted force levels of 200 surface platforms and 100 aircraft by 2030